The campaign sounds the alarm about the dangers of flu, and alerts the public to the need for everyone six months of age and older to be vaccinated against influenza to prevent transmission of the disease.

Flu sweeps around the world each year, and is a contagious and potentially deadly viral infection that can be dangerous for anyone—healthy young adults, pregnant women, babies, and seniors.

Commonly known as flu, influenza is marked by some or even all of these symptoms:

Fever or feeling feverish/chills (not everyone experiences fever)

Cough

Sore throat

Runny or stuffy nose

Muscle or body aches

Headaches

Fatigue (tiredness)

Vomiting and diarrhea (more common in kids than adults)

“Some people infected with flu feel achy and tired, or they might have a sore throat, cough, or fever. They might even have a runny or stuffy nose. Many flu symptoms are similar to cold symptoms, which is why people sometimes mix them up and think it’s no big deal, just a cold,” said Trish Parnell, director of PKIDs.

Flu symptoms can last for days and are usually gone by the end of two weeks.

Flu viruses are transmitted in various ways—even with a kiss. Or, an infected person can cough, sneeze, or talk and spray tiny infected droplets into the air. Those droplets are then breathed in through the nose or the mouth of anyone nearby.

An infected person can also cough, sneeze, or talk and spray tiny droplets into the air, which then plop onto tables, or doorknobs, or other surfaces. Individuals later touch those surfaces and get the droplets on their hands. When those same hands touch the nose, mouth, or eyes, the droplets are transferred from the surface to the body, and transmit the virus.

An infected person can transmit the flu virus even before he or she starts to feel ill.

The CDC states that every year in the United States, on average:

5% to 20% of the population gets the flu;

more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and;

about 36,000 people die from flu.

Flu doesn’t treat everyone the same. It can lead to pneumonia or perhaps, in children, sinus or ear infections. It can make an existing medical condition such as asthma much worse, and one can even die from flu

The fact that flu can take perfectly healthy individuals and kill them in a matter of days is the most confounding aspect of infection.

PKIDs’ “No Time For Flu” campaign reaches out through social media platforms and a website, www.pkids.org/flu, to educate the public on flu and how to prevent infection.

Through the use of videos, posters, and fresh informative materials, the public’s questions about flu are answered with clarity, and the need to use immunization and clean hands as strong tools to prevent infection is made clear.

“It’s so easy to catch the flu, and so easy to prevent it. Plan ahead, roll up your sleeve, and protect yourself and your loved ones,” said Ari Brown, MD, pediatrician and author of Baby 411 book series.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccination. There are rare exceptions, and an individual’s healthcare provider will be the person to address those issues.

NOTE: For the 2016-2017 flu season, CDC recommends that only the injectable flu vaccines be used, and not the nasal spray flu vaccine. Ongoing studies are determining the effectiveness of the nasal spray vaccine.

Because the flu strains change each year, an annual vaccination which matches the existing strains is required.

Please visit our site and use the images and other materials to encourage your community to immunize against flu.

Pregnant women are harder hit by flu than women of the same age who are not pregnant. Their symptoms are usually more severe, there are more hospitalizations, and they’re at higher risk of premature delivery or even death.

Although the infection doesn’t travel from the woman to her fetus, if the mom-to-be is infected, her infection may indirectly hurt the fetus.

A premature delivery may mean the baby is too small, or underdeveloped. It can even mean death for the baby. If fever is present, mom’s infection can also lead to an assortment of abnormalities in the baby.

Why is this? Well, we can’t say for sure.

Part of a pregnant woman’s immune system is changed, or weakened, during pregnancy. This happens so that the woman’s body won’t attack the fetus as a foreign invader.

This altered immune state may allow a flu virus to attack, causing harm to the pregnant woman.

It’s also possible that part of the immune response is actually boosted during pregnancy, causing an increase in inflammation in the lungs when a pregnant woman is infected with a flu virus.

This in turn may be causing the increase in death and illness found in some flu-infected pregnant women.

The fact that pregnant women’s organs are squished may also increase the risk of pneumonia or other problems. Also, because of the increased blood volume, a pregnant woman’s lungs are a little “wetter” and less capable of resisting a severe infection.

Could be, may, might — that’s not what we want to hear. We want definite reasons so that we can use definite means to prevent all of this.

Unfortunately, it’s just not that simple.

If you’re pregnant, be extra cautious when it comes to flu. Call your provider as soon as you have symptoms — early treatment makes a big difference.

CDC recommends that if you are pregnant and have any of these signs, you should call 911 right away:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• High fever that is not responding to Tylenol® (or store brand equivalent)
• Decreased or no movement of your baby

CDC recommends that individuals six months of age and older be immunized each year against flu.

Immunization and clean hands are the two best tools to prevent infection. Check with your healthcare provider to see about staying up-to-date on your immunizations.

Pregnant? Do not fail to be tested and TREATED for group B strep infection

The first story I read was heartbreaking. A mother-to-be at 38 weeks, in for a routine prenatal appointment. The heartbeat check turns up nothing. The baby has died, and she must undergo induction for a stillbirth. Weeks later, she learns that her baby tested positive for a Group B Streptococcus (group B strep or GBS) infection of the blood and lungs. The mother had tested positive for GBS in a previous visit, but because her membranes were intact, no one was concerned.

GBS is present in about 25% of pregnant women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this bacteria is the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborns. Many women undergoing standard prenatal care also undergo testing for GBS. They can carry the bacteria in the vagina or rectum without having any symptoms, but if the bacteria pass to the womb, the outcome can be devastating.

The disease in infants can be early-onset or late. Early-onset disease afflicts newborns in the first week, most commonly causing a blood infection (sepsis) or lung infection (pneumonia), although meningitis (inflammation of the brain membranes) can also happen. Late-onset disease, in which meningitis is more common, occurs from the second week through the first three months of life. Early-onset GBS infection afflicts about 1200 babies each year in the United States, with outcomes that can vary from permanent deficits such as deafness and developmental disabilities to death. In many cases, detection and treatment can prevent transmission from mother to child.

July is GBS Awareness Month. Pregnant women, parents of newborns, and healthcare providers should be aware of the following to help prevent the possible devastating outcomes of infant GBS infection:

The CDC recommends that all pregnant women be screened for GBS in weeks 35 to 37.

The standard test is a painless vaginal and rectal swab test.

A rapid DNA test is also available in some places.

A woman should be tested in each pregnancy.

A positive test requires follow-up, awareness, and treatment.

Treatment consists of antibiotic administration, often during labor.

Transmission usually occurs during passage through the birth canal but can occur before birth.

Risk factors for early-onset GBS (during the first newborn week) include early delivery, urine positive for GBS during pregnancy, fever during labor, and a long period between water breaking and delivery.

GBS infection in infants occurs at higher rates among African-Americans than other ethnic groups.

If an infant has fever, difficulty feeding, irritability or lethargy, difficulty breathing, or a bluish color to the skin, contact a healthcare provider immediately or go to an emergency room.

It’s important to note that GBS is not a sexually transmitted disease. These bacteria are simply often present in the digestive tract or the vagina or rectum of about 25% of women. A healthy adult carrier would likely never even notice their presence. That’s one reason the CDC shifted its guidelines from testing only pregnant women who had risk factors to testing all pregnant women. It’s another quick and straightforward way to prevent infection and death in infants.

For more information about GBS testing or to learn more about promoting July as GBS Awareness Month, visit Group B Strep International, an organization founded by parents of children who were born stillborn, full term, because of GBS infection. And remember…getting tested isn’t the only step in preventing GBS transmission from mother to child.

The first and second U.S. deaths from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic were in a 22-month-old child and a 33-year old pregnant woman. These deaths were a sad sign of the toll this pandemic would take on young children and pregnant women. While pregnant women and young children have been considered at “high risk of flu-related complications” for years, 2009 H1N1 flu hit them really hard.

The risk from flu is greater for pregnant women because pregnancy can reduce the ability of the lungs and the immune system to work normally. This can be bad for both mother and baby. According to a study done during the first month of the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, the rate of hospitalizations was four times higher in pregnant women than other groups. Also, although pregnant women are about 1% of the U.S. population, they made up about 5% of U.S. deaths from 2009 H1N1 reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) from April 14 – August 21, 2009.

Young children, whose immune systems are still developing, are also at-risk for flu-related complications. Each year about 100 flu-related deaths in children are thought to occur in the U.S. During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, more than 300 deaths in children were reported to CDC. CDC believes that many more deaths in children may have gone unrecognized or unreported.

Experts think the 2009 H1N1 virus will be around again this flu season. In fact, one of the three parts of this season’s flu vaccine will protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus. While CDC is now encouraging everyone six months and older to get vaccinated against the flu, there is a special message for pregnant women and parents: “Don’t pass up this easy way to protect yourself and your children against the flu,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, Assistant Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service and CDC Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

“Getting a flu vaccine during pregnancy can reduce the risk of getting the flu while pregnant and after,” says Dr. Schuchat. “And babies younger than six months can get very sick from flu, but are too young to get vaccinated. The best way to protect them is to have their caregivers and close contacts vaccinated.”

Seasonal flu shots have been given safely to millions of pregnant women and children over many years. Though there is no proof that thimerosal (a preservative) is harmful to a pregnant woman, their babies, or young children, some worry about it. So, as before, vaccine companies are making plenty of preservative-free flu vaccine as an option for pregnant women and small children.

Usually worse than the common cold, the flu can cause fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and weakness. Some people also have diarrhea and vomiting. Pregnant women and parents of children younger than two years of age should call their doctor or nurse right away if they, or their children, become sick. A doctor can prescribe flu antiviral drugs.

Vaccination continues to be the best protection. Get yourself—and all of your children 6 months of age and older—vaccinated against the flu to keep all family members healthy this flu season. One shot will last all flu season, even if you get it early in the season.

For more information, talk to your doctor or contact CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO or www.cdc.gov.

They cannot escape disease. Rape, assault, and lack of decent medical care or basic nutrition put them at increased odds of getting infections. Add to that the cyclical challenge of mosquitos carrying malaria and their burden becomes overwhelming.

Pregnancy and childbirth, always difficult in this poor country, are made more so by the rough living conditions. Babies are being delivered in tents or on the street. If there are any complications, the outlook for a safe birth is grim.

Thieves roam the streets. A female with a bag of rice in her arms is no match for a group of hungry men. Caring for a family is at times a life-threatening chore for the girls and women of Haiti.

We sit in our office chairs, writing this as part of our Haiti Habit series of postings. They’re not just postings, though. They’re people in pain.

We can’t all fly to Haiti and lend a hand, but we can pick up the phone or go online and give a few bucks. A little bit from each of us makes for a pile of cash, and boy do they need it.

If you already support a charity working in Haiti, contact them for more information and donation opportunities. If not, here’s a list of charities to consider.

Conization – removing abnormal areas of the cervix (also known as a cone biopsy)

Trachelectomy – removing part or all of the cervix

These treatments may affect the cervix in such a way that it could be more difficult to become pregnant or carry a pregnancy to full term, but they are still considered to be “fertility-preserving therapy” because other procedures are even more likely to affect fertility and pregnancy.

About the only way to prevent HPV infection is to have only one intimate partner during your lifetime, but that partner has to also have only one intimate partner—you. If that sounds unlikely to you, there are vaccines available that can reduce your chances of getting HPV (and therefore cervical cancer)—check with your doctor to see if it’s a good choice for you.

Disclaimer

The information on PKIDs' Blog is for educational purposes only and should not be considered to be medical advice. It is not meant to replace the advice of the physician who cares for you or your child. All medical advice and information should be considered to be incomplete without a physical exam, which is not possible without a visit to your doctor.